Unhappy Friends and Lost souls
by papilionette
Summary: A Postwar story about the friendship of one Ginny Weasley and Draco Malfoy, an insane Harry and Luna who is trying to cope, with a dash of Hermione and Snape and some Ron and Pansy.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

_"Live one day at a time emphasizing ethics rather than rules." Wayne Dyer_

_"Severus.. Oh baby.."_

"Draco, you really can't be serious. When you invited me over for lunch, I didn't expect you were going to waste my precious time with talking about an idea like that. I mean, Hermione and Snape? Even if I considered it to be a good idea, Hermione would never forgive me, if she knew I'd set her up with the greasy bat from the dungeons. Her exact words, mind you."

Ginevra Weasley shook her head at the mere thought. "Let's try a different subject, what happened to Lavender for instance?" The minute she reminded Draco of the flirty and very annoying blonde, he scowled in reply. "Well, I have to say, I'm very dissapointed in you."

Ginny looked up to him semi-suprised "Why? Because of the extremely subtle change of subject?"

"No because you didn't warn me for the barmy chit! Really, I never thought someone could stoop that low or could have an IQ not bigger than a Flobberworm, except maybe for Potter. And don't forget the incessant squealing and giggling. It gave my headache an headache." Ginny laughed "Well, I did warn you for the 'barmy chit' and quite a couple of times, if my memory serves me right. Only you were to preoccupied with staring at her chest. And about the giggling and squealing, it surprises me, you didn't catch up on that when we were at school. Seems to me, you and Ron finally found something in common. Your taste for lowclass bimbo's"

"You really know how to ruin a perfect day, don't you Weasley?" A sourlooking Draco said, while he waved to get the attention of the waiter. "It's my pleasure, Ferretboy" she affectionatly replied.

While Ginny was looking at Draco ordering drinks, she thought about their friendship. Which was strange in the first place, yet felt so natural. There was always something about him. Even in the period at Hogwarts, where she hated his guts. He was mean, vicious, but still held some sort of harsh honesty. He always tried to bend the truth in his favour, but if you listened very well, it was still honest. She had some respect for that, even though it was an utter prat.

But the day she watched him and his father in the alley behind Flourish and Blotts, made her look at Draco in a different perspective. She remembered it so well, as if it was yesterday. She was wandering around Diagon Alley and tried to sneak away from her parents and her brothers to look at the shops alone. Fred and George had the day of from their shop to come and were behaving extremely vile towards Ron, slipping him their new products and Ron, the poor sod fell for it every time. During one of their new pranks, Ginny saw a chance to get away and snuck into the alley behind Flourish and Blotts.

Hiding till her family moved on, so she could have some alone-time. Yelling around the corner attracted her attention and as the curious twit she was, she peaked around to see who it was, that was yelling. Imagine her surprise when she saw Draco Malfoy standing there, defying is father with a wand. His hair was disheveled and his face was quite red from the yelling.

Carefully she made sure no one saw her, while she watched the display in front of her. Draco yelled at his father again "Why should I follow the stupid sod! You know he is a freaking halfblood who is trying to rid the world of his own kind, talk about being a hypocryt! I won't take that ridiculous mark! I won't let it blemish me, like it has done you!"

His father's silent, but cold answer, made Ginny shiver. "You know, he will kill you and if he doesn't, he will send someone to kill you. I will let you know, that I follow my Masters wishes. And more. I will kill everyone you love before doing so and make you wish you were standing on our side."

That was the moment Draco looked at Ginny directly, which made her gasp. But she didn't dare to break the eyecontact. She felt like she was frozen solid to the ground.

After he stared for a moment at Ginny, he looked back up at his father and complied "I will take the Dark Mark, if that is what you wish." Just like that. She wanted to scream out in fury. Tell him he was a coward and that Dumbledore would keep him save. But he looked back at her, almost as if he wanted to apologize and her rage subdued. She was mesmorized by him. Only when she noticed that Lucius was walking back, heading her way, she panicked. She tried to get away as fast as possible when she heard Draco again. "Father wait!" In her surprise she wanted to stop, but her mind was screaming that he was turning her in to his father now.

But the last word she heard were "When is it taking place?" And while running back to her parents and her brothers, she realised something. He saw her, but didn't betray her hidingplace and probably even bought her some time to get away.

"Thinking dirty about me again, Ginevra?" Draco shook her out of her reverie and she sneered at him. "Actually yes, I was. About I'd like to rub some mud in your face. Dirty enough for you, babe?" Her cheeks blushed and she hoped he would take it up as an angry blush. "Very lame comeback, Ginevra and you know it. What would you like for lunch today, while we get back at discussing the plans of setting up Severus and Granger?"

And again she shook her head at the mere thought. "You know Snape would probably torture you for even making such an insinuation? And if he's done, Hermione would kick your ass. I'm guessing you can still remember her right hook. I don't even want to know how mamed you're going to look after those two are done with you." Draco made a face to her as she casually added "Ow and I'd like the ravioli with spinach by the way."

"The key to avoid that course of action and the key to succes of setting people up, is by not telling them you're setting them up and not let other tell them either." He replied with his trademark arrogant smirk. "You're actually planning on pulling this off? Why? I know Snape is probably in need of a great fuck. Well, not even a great fuck, I suppose. Any fuck would be sufficient, as I can imagine he has had any in like forever, but why set him up with Hermione? She can do so much better."

Draco smirked again "How impossible it may seem, my Godfather has been laid before. He actually has a small fanclub, who simply swoon over him. He is a warhero these days and even though you think he's ugly, I guess that the dark moody look actually works for some of them. But besides that. If you think about it more objectively, you can point out the similarities between those two. They both are highly intelligent, have a passion for books and potions."

Ginny interrupted "Hermione has a passion for books and every other subject there is. Besides.. You only mentioned two similarities, Draco. I still don't see why they should be together."

"If you'd let me finish what I was about to say, you would. They both have been trough the same thing and they were very close partners during the war. I dare say, they even came on friendly terms since then. And Severus doesn't come on friendly terms that easily. Granger impressed him and that's pretty unique. She is the first one since a long time who has broken through his barriers as an outsider and she is a Gryffindor."

"Why do you still hold on to houses? The world isn't divided in houses. I'm a former Griffindor and I'm talking to a former Slytherin. And does it really matter?" She interjected.

"Ginevra, I was trying to emphasize a point here. I am not dividing the world into Hogwarts houses. We're both from a younger generation, the older generations are still holding on to the dividing by house. Severus is no different, so the fact he accepts Granger even though she was a 'former' Griffindor, as you so eloquently put it, still stands for something."

The waiter interrupted them, when he brought their food. Ginny watched how Draco took his napkin, folded it into a triangle and laid it down on his lap. He once told her, it was something his mother taught him and that it was something he still honoured. Her rarely spoke of his mother. His perfectly manicured finger traced the outline of the napkin and he seemed lost in thoughts for a moment. When he looked up, he looked straight into her eyes and she tried not to blush. At which she miserably failed. Before he could make any remarks about it, she decided to ask some more questions.

"Till this point, you've only mentioned why Snape should be with Hermione, but why should she choose for him?" He smiled at her. "Nice save, Ginevra.. But to answer that, I was hoping for some more info from you. Why do you think I invited you to have lunch with me?" Her blush crept back up again and she was trying to ignore it.

"Except the fact we lunch together every week? Besides, why in Merlins name, should give you info about Hermione? I'm positive she can take care of her own lovelife."

Draco almost choked. "We're talking about Granger, Ginevra. Are you fucking serious? The twit only reads books and may I remind you her taste for clothes is non-existent. I'm even willing to bet, that she doesn't even know what great sex means, except for what is written in books."

Playfully Ginny swatted at his arm. "Get a grip, Draco. Remember the fact she did have previous relations. Do I need to remind you of all of them?" Draco gestured to go on, while he was chewing. "Well, ofcourse there was a two year relationship with my brother, Ron. Too bad he is an utter sod and wasn't a match for her at all. She had that fling with Viktor Krum afterwards. Rebound, ofcourse. Oliver Wood had her attention for a while. To bad he was obsessed with Quidditch and with Katie Bell. She dated my brother Charlie for a while and she dated Remus a couple of times, but that was to help him to get Tonks back. Trying to make her jealous, I believe. So that doesn't even count."

He nodded. "So that's 4 guys and she is 25. But that is something, except for the little mistake, called Ron. We can safely say, she goes for the older guys."

"Yes, but they weren't much older, you daft prick. Snape is twenty years older." Ginny glared at him and violently stabbed her fork in her ravioli.

"Point taken."

Ginny looked down at her food and didn't say anything, while trying to eat her lunch. Draco opened his mouth again, to start again, but Ginny looked up again and interrupted him "You know, I didn't agree to go to lunch, if the only thing you can talk about is Snape and his need to get laid. And somehow you seem to find it neccesary to include Hermione in the same story. Could we please change the subject. It bores me."

"That's allright, Ginevra. We could take up one of my most beloved lunchtopics. Like when are you finally going to cave in and leap in to my arms?' The bastard was positively glowing with arrogance and the fact he was smirking at her, wasn't helping, Ginny thought, but she couldn't help but smile. "When is hell going to freeze over, Draco?" He sighed dramatically "You wound me with your harsh words, my dear Ginevra." She looked at him for a moment, silently contemplating about him. Thruth to be told is that she allready caved in, a very long time ago. Only she wasn't going to cave in to become one of his conquests, to only be thrown away after he was done. She knew him to well to cave in.

They continued their lunch in a friendly fashion and talked about what had happened in their weeks, while Draco continued his flirting, so she could glare at him and secretly wish his words to be true.

In the meanwhile back at Hogwarts..

_"Don't you stop doing that, Severus.. Oh God, I love you.."_

_"I.. Love.. You.. Too.. Hermione.."_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two**

_"A good friend can tell you what is the matter with you in a minute. He may not seem such a good friend after telling." Arthur Brisbane_

Ron Weasley was a wellknown Auror. He was no longer a sidekick of the Boy-who-lived. He was a grownup. A man. But why did that fucking gash on his back hurt like hell and why the hell was he trying to hold back his tears, like he was some baby? His boss called it a routinejob, just rounding up some of the lowerrank Deatheaters, who fled a long time ago and returned to Great Britain. It turned out to be a complete gathering of ex-Deateaters, with a plan to resurrect Voldemort. The losers, he thought. Harry killed Voldemort into tiny little pieces. Rememberingthe fact that Harry wasn't that far away from him, gave him the shivers. He felt somewhat quilty, because he didn't visit Harry for a while now. It hurt him to see his best friend like this. Like some drooling babbling idiot. Well maybe he wasn't drooling, nor babbling. The empty look in his best friends eyes was unnerving. Trying to move on the examinationtable, his gash stung again. He was biting his lip in pain, till a Healer would arrive.

The door opened to the examiningroom and a familiar voice made him cringe "Well, if that isn't Ronald Weasley. It's been a long time." Ron looked up, only to see the face of a familiar Slytherin. Pansy Parkinson. To acknowledge her presence he curtly nodded. "Never saw you as the silent type. But please do tell me, what is troubling you?" Pansy picked up his chart and scanned it for information. Impatiently he huffed. "When is the healer coming? I've been waiting for ages and that cut on my back is hurting like bloody hell." Pansy smiled serenly, while she replied "Well, mr Weasley. The healer allready has arrived and only ten minutes after you entered this building. Nice to meet you, I'm healer Parkinson." Ron absolutely looked terrified. "Oh no, you're not! I want a real healer." Pansy's face fell for a moment, but she maintained a serene smile. "I can garantuee you I'm a real healer, complete with certificate."

Grudgingly he muttered his consent. Pansy sat down and started on examinating his back and even tried to make some smalltalk. "I must say I was surprised, when Shacklebolt called me, you were coming in. Never saw you as an auror, to be quite honest. So how are you doing these days?" Surprised Ron looked behind him. Only to get her hand pushing his face back. Never before had he seen Pansy speaking so civilly to someone else, let alone to him. "I'm reasonably fine, considering the fact I have a huge gash on my back. And to be truthful, you were the last person I expected as an Healer. I mean, you were maintaining a pretty bad reputation as an superficial airhead at Hogwarts." Just to be sure, Ron didn't add the fact, she was mostly considered as a slut. There was no need to be nasty, he decided

"People change, Ron. So did I. During the war I saw things that actually made me stop in my tracks and motivated me to actually use my brains for a time. I put that to good use." She laughed again. "I can see you put your time to good use as well. When did you stop look like a gangly teen?" Ron smirked "The day I started Auror-training. You'd be amazed on what they let you do there." Even though she was healing his back, he somehow knew Pansy was smiling. "I can only imagine. Healer-training wasn't all fun either."

"That reminds me, if you are a healer here, you must work with my little sister." Curious he looked behind him, but Pansy turned his head back. "Well, we work at the same place, but technically we don't work together. She is a Healer at the third floor, which is Potion and Plantpoisoning, as you may be aware off and I work here at Spell damage. Only at complicated cases we work together. But we do meet up at lunch sometimes. Can't get around her, ever since she and Draco are friends. Lovely girl though, I can see..." Ron turned around again and in a flash stopped her hand, which tried to get him turned back around. When she looked up, she really couldn't remember the time she saw anybody that livid. "What do you mean, ever since she and Draco are friends?"

Funnily she looked at him. "Ever since the war ended, they're having lunch every week. I thought you knew that. Looked like everyone in your family knew that. I know for a fact your older brother Bill went along for one of their lunches and if my memory serves me right, you're mother did to. I believe they're out to lunch right now as well." Ron lept up and groaned, because his back wasn't fully healed and stung again. "Do you know where they are?" Ron growled at her. Pansy stood up as well and faced him. "Does it matter? Now sit down, so I can heal you properly and so I will not be sued for malpractice." Pansy didn't sound as serene as before and she didn't feel like that anymore. "I want to know what Ferretboy is doing with my sister. He has no business with her. He's a goddamned.."

Before he could finish his sentence, she grabbed him and pulled him down. She looked him straight in the eye and yelled at him. "Why do you still hold on to prejudices, that allready brought so much hurt to a lot of people, not so long ago. Your best friend is insane, because he fought against that. You fucking dimwit!" Taken aback he didn't know what to say. But she did and she continued yelling at him. "Why does it matter that your sister is having lunch with Draco. If she didn't consent to it, I highly doubt she would be going back and might I remind you, that Draco fought for the Light? He helped your best friend. Harry was working with him, why don't you trust your best friends opinion. It shouldn't matter he's only two doors away now. O wait, it does. Because now that Harry is a freaking lunatic, he isn't your best friend anymore, I suppose. Because you hardly visited him these last couple of years. Now he's out of sight and you think you're fucking allmighty and you can continue with being a prejudiced prat. You sicken me. Now sit down and let me finish my goddamned work."

Not knowing what to say, he sat down and remained silent. Pansy hurted his feelings, by reminding him of Harry. She was right. He hardly ever visited Harry anymore. He kept on blaming it on Aurortraining, but deep inside he knew he was just postponing the visit, because he could bare looking at Harry anymore. Even though he hadn't seen Harry for a long time, the memory of those vacant eyes and the lack of recognition kept him from visiting. It was making it harder and harder to stop by. Ron thought about his sister, probably joining Malfoy for lunch and couldn't help feeling left out about the fact she didn't tell him about that. Pansy was right about that one too. He was prejudiced. About Malfoy and about Pansy and about a lot of other things.

"I'm done. Check yourself out downstairs and let Shacklebolt contact me." Pansy said, while interrupting Ron's contemplations. She laid one last look of discontent on him and left the examinationroom. Ron got up and put his shirt back on. He felt even more like shit, then when he walked in and nobody could heal this for him.

When he walked out the door and trough the hallway, he looked at a door on which it said ward 49 and in big letters above 'Janus Thickey Ward' the ward for for longterm resident ward. It was the ward where Harry was on. Not being able to cope right now, he swiftly moved on and left St Mungo's.


	3. Chapter 3

_"There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness." Friedrich Nietzsche_

"I never expected to be here with you. Not like this. I hoped to be with you, but differently. And now I still wonder. Wonder about things locked up inside of you." Luna Lovegood never expected to be in St Mungo's like this. She could have imagined she would be a patient herself, after all that has happened in the past decade. But she wasn't. Instead she was looking at someone she dearly loved. She loved him for years now and she didn't even know if he loved her back and would never know either. The ruffled jetblack mop of hair was still the same. The colour of his eyes were still green, but there wasn't any recognition in his eyes anymore. He wasn't familiar with her face, nor that of others. Harry wasn't Harry anymore. What was left behind, was merely an empty shell, drowned in madness.

"Harry, do you want to play a game?" He didn't even look at her. So she sat down and took a colorful bal, which was lying next to her and rolled it towards him, hoping he would pick up the game. He did. He rolled it back and gave her a lobsided smile. A single tear rolled down her face. "I wish it could have been different. Especially for you. I wish I knew how you felt. If you are happy now. You don't talk to me any more, not like you used to. I wish I knew how you felt about me, back then. Nowadays everything is different. People move on, they continue with their lives, like nothing is going on. Living their lives in a world you helped saving and now here you lie, forgotten most of the time. I've changed as well. You wouldn't even recognise me anymore if you would wake up out of this world of crazyness."

Voices seemed to call her over and over again. 'Come to us, Luna.. Stay with us..'

Staring at her with a blanc look, Harry looked different. More innocent then the first day he came to school. He looked like he didn't have a care in the world. Probably he didn't anymore, she thought. "With every day that passes, I feel myself slipping away. I'm drowning in madness and it doesn't feel right. I'm hearing things, voices from the past and from the future, all telling me I should end it all. It frightens me. I guess I rightfully deserve my nickname. Loony Lovegood. Sounds quite righte for a fruitbasket such as myself. But normally, people call me Loony, because they don't have the same faith or beliefs as I did. Nowadays it pinpoints my current situation. To be completly thruthful, I even start seeing things. People, who are dead. People no one else sees. Not like the ghosts in Hogwarts. The people I see, seem so real. Like they're alive again. And when I try to make other people aware of their presence, they call me a loony, because no one is there. How can I explain that to myself, if I can't even make other people see? Tell me, Harry. Please be there for me. Please wake up."

Tears started rolling down her cheeks and Harry poked with his finger in her cheek, before trying to snatch her wand, which was as usual residing behind her ear. Taking his hand, before he could grab hold of it, and softly stroking it, she started to laugh coldly. "I know you're not the Harry anymore, that everyone knew. Not even the Harry I knew, but I still love you. I think. I sometimes question my reason to love, like I question the depths of my mind. I'm a wealthy heiress of the Lovegood Estate and I'm now the new owner of the Quibbler, you would think I should go on with my life like any other girl of my age would do? And here I am, still here pining for you. Because everytime I try to stay at home and try to ban you from my mind, it backfires. Images of you and me, of what it could've been, keeps popping up in my mind. Your memory still makes me tingle, when I remember how you talked to me. How we had endless conversations about Nargles, the war, about our futures, what we wanted for ourselfes in life. I still regret the fact, I never told you back then, that you were the one I needed in my future. Normally I would have told you, but you always made me feel so comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time. I didn't want to lose that feeling. Something so wonderful I just wanted to cherish for a moment more . I always knew you were going to survive. How was I to know, only your heart would keep on beating?"

Harry turned away from her and started playing with the bal himself. Fate was cruel, Luna decided. She looked up, only to see Dean again. To hear his rasping voice calling to her "Luna... Luna.. Come here.. Harry is here too.." She shut her eyes for a moment and opened them again. Dean was gone. She remembered it well, when Dean died. He died like a true hero on the battlefield. Trying to protect Seamus and Lavender. When he died, he took three Deatheaters with him at the same time. Seamus said his last words were "You're gonna make it, here's three less for ya mates!" Perhaps Seamus overreacted when he told the rest of them those last words, but Luna thought it suited Dean. Harry was devastated when he saw Dean fall, but he fought more viciously after that.

"I still blame myself" She continued in a soft voice "Hermione, Draco, Ginny, everybody... They all tell me I was not to blame, but I can't help wondering. What if I was there sooner, what if I had have watched you, like I promised myself, before it started. Could I have been on time? Could I have rescued you from this? These questions drive me to the edge. And the only solace I find, is when I'm here with you. Waiting for just an inkling of recognition, even though I know it's not there anymore. Perhaps I should give up. But I'm just not ready yet. Not ready to let you go. Or what it could've been. Were you in love with me too? Did we have a future?

Her eyes drifted off, while shereminded herself of Harry's smile at her, just moments after he defeated Voldemort. There was a huge silence all over the battelefield, as if everybody had been frozen by some unknown power. The moment seemed to go forever in her memory and she wanted to scream happily at him, that he should watch out for any Nixies, that would crawl out of the lifeless body of Voldemort. But before she had a chance, everyone around her started to fight again. After stunning her opponent, she looked at Harry again. Behind Harry she saw Lucius Malfoy sneaking up to him. Her warnings dissolved in the noise of battle and she viciously tried to make way to Harry. As she tried, she saw how Lucius struck her Harry in the back, with what she now knew was Cruciatus. She pushed people over and stumbling tried to get there. But by the time she got there and looked into Harry's eyes, she knew she was to late. The vacant look in his eyes betrayed his faith. Taken over by a blind fury, Luna took on Lucius and even though she had killed before, he became her first real victim. The first she killed out of pure hate and on which she used Avada Kedavra with succes.

Luna sighed at the memory and looked at Harry again. She was tired of it all. So tired. She couldn't remember the last day she smiled. The last day where she cared for Blibbering Humdinger or other creatures nobody but her seemed to care about. It was all getting to much for her. She decided to get up. Before she could go, Harry poked at her leg with his finger and she looked at him. He held his hand toward her. In his outstretched hand was a butterbeercap. She took it from him and gave him a hug. And as fast as she could she ran out of the room. Trying to hide the tears that were coming up again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four**

_"Jealousy is not a barometer by which the depth of love can be read, it merely records the degree of the lover's insecurity." Margaret Mead_

A few days after she met Draco for lunch, Ginny decided to owl Hermione, asking to meet up. Her lunch with Draco reminded her of the fact that she hadn't seen her friend for a few days and they needed to catch up on daily life issues. Ginny wasn't planning on telling of Draco's plans to get Hermione and Snape together, even though it would be amusing to see Draco squirm his way out of that one. But she did want to see Hermione. So she wrote a small note and tied it her owl, sending it on its way.

There weren't many patients in today. Other resident Healers could fill in for her at the moment, so she could look through her mail and answer some of its more inportant pieces. Most of her friends were used to sending it to her work, because most of the time that was where she could be found. Flipping through her mail, she saw she had letters from Snape, probably more information about the project she was working on with him and Hermione. A letter from Ron, probably just to inform her that he didn't agree about her being on friendly terms with Draco. Pansy already told, during their lunch yesterday, that she'd accidentally told Ron and that he was being an idiot about it. A letter from her boss, probably just another memo. Oh, how her boss liked memos, if she would get a galleon for every memo she got, she would be as rich as Draco. Even if she got a sickle a memo, she should be doing quite nicely. Finally she came across a letter from Draco. Every three days he would send her a letter, just informing her about how he was doing. Just some habit he formed a couple of months ago.

Ginny decided to open Ron's letter first. After quickly scanning it, she discovered it was written the day before yesterday and that Ron still had surprises up his sleeve. Ginny was rendered speechless with its content. For once in his life Ron hadn't behaved like a bloody insensitive git. She read it more carefully.

_Dear Ginny_, it said

_As Pansy might have informed you... or not, since I don't actually know how close the two of you are, I was a complete and utter fool yesterday. Pansy told me about your friendship with- _

Ginny laughed when she saw he had written down Ferret-boy, before deciding to make Malfoy out of it.

_-Malfoy. I have to admit, I was angry when I heard about it. Even more angry, when I heard it from Pansy and not from you. _

_Perhaps I should get over my stupid childish rivalries with Malfoy, but I have to admit, it hurt me a little to know that my little sister hadn't told me. It kinda mad me feel left out and like you didn't trust me. I hope he is being nice to you and if he's doing anything to hurt you or play with your feelings, I will not hesitate to hurt him. _

_Well, sis, I hope everything's okay with you and I'll see you next sunday at Family Day. _

Ginny lifted her eyebrow at that last part. Ron hardly ever came to Family Days anymore. He told everyone that he was to swamped at work, much to the dismay of their mother.

_Love, Ron_

_P.S. Bit of a surprise seeing Pansy working there, but she's nice... sort of, when she's not screeching like a banshee. And it's good to know she finally got some sense in her and even managed to stomp some of it in to my head._

She had to ask Pansy about that last part, because the only thing Pansy mentioned was that Ron was being a bloody git about everything and had ranted a lot about the fact that he hadn't changed a bit since Hogwarts. Shaking her head in amazement, she decided to open the next letter from her boss, which, was as she had expected. A memo that was meant to remind everybody that they should be aware of the fact that there were thieves in St Mungo's, who had stolen toiletpaper and bandaids from the storageroom. Ginny ripped the paper up and threw it in the bin. Snape's letter was next. And as expected, it was extra information about their project. Information she had asked about thankfully, merely a day ago. It was about the properties of ginger root, Glumbumble fluid and and Jobberknoll parts. All potion ingredients, which could be useful in the search of a cure for people who were tortured to insanity by Cruciatus.

The day after Ginny passed her Healer course and became a Potions Mistress along the way, she was contacted by Severus Snape. At first she was a little taken aback by that fact. Why in Merlin's name, would he want to talk to her? After he refused her a internship with him, she never expected to see him again, except, maybe, when she was going to visit Hermione, who became a Charms professor at Hogwarts. Reluctantly she went to visit the Bat of the dungeons, only to be surprised to meet Hermione as well._ "Miss Weasley, it seems we have a proposition for you.." Hermione smiled and interrupted Snape. "We are working on a highly classified project and because you succesfully became a Potion Mistress with honours, we decided it was imperative, that you should be a part of this." _

Ginny could still feel both pair of eyes burning in her skin, when she tought about it. One pair with excitement and the other with miscontent? She didn't know. These days they held a sort of respect for her. However, reverting to her memories once more, she remembered Snape continuing _"Before I was interrupted by the incessant babbling of Proffesor Granger.." Hermione glared at him "We are researching the possibility of working on a complex potion, which is combined with a charm, that could counteract the effects of longterm exposure to Cruciatus. Since you have passed your degree in Potions, after a internship with Arama Buggleworth, we deemed you worthy enough to be part of our project."_

Ginny remembered it all too well, even the fact she almost made a rude comment to Snape, because he just was being a stuck up prat and now here she was, a part of their Research Team, who were so close to finding a cure. The extra information had a little note attached to it.

_Miss Weasley, here are the properties on ginger root, Glumbumble fluid and Jobberknoll parts. Thoroughly researched, as always. Severus Snape_. Looking through the papers, she saw that she hardly missed any of the properties and that Snapes notes were almost exact to the ones she'd made earlier that week.

After putting the notes in her drawer, where she kept most of her documents, notes and journals, she looked to the last letter. Draco's letter. The letter that always seemed to make her day. Most of the time she would get a cup of tea and a sandwich out of the canteen and huddle up in a chair, reading it. But today, she decided to read it in her office with nothing more than a lousy cup of coffee.

_My dear Ginevra, _

_How are you doing at your dreadfully boring work? Besides thinking of me of course- because no woman in her right mind could not have been thinking of me- during those long stressful working hours. I've had a long day myself, and it isn't easy working with those damn goblins. Pesky little critters without a sense of humor, that's what they are. _

_I was just having a little fun with a client of ours and then Griphook came in, seemingly not amused. In front of the client, he sent me off to a job and took over my client. I had to do something about retrieving some amulet, which was lying around in some cave. Like I was some disobidient child. Sometimes I wonder why I still work here, since I'm obviously too good for this job. _

_But now on to the serious business, I was kind of hoping we could meet today? Something is bothering me. To be more specific, you are bothering me. There is that matter of you being the only female besides Pansy, that still puts up with me. You're someone that keeps me on my toes; and I was wondering what kind of advice you could give me on this particular problem. Or what kind of solution we could come up with. I don't want to go into details in this letter, so I was hoping we could hook up later on today. _

_Anyway, how about lunch this afternoon? Or dinner?_

_Draco_

_P.S. We still have to discuss our plan of getting Granger and Severus together_.

Ginny fumed. The nerve! The absolute nerve of that man. Writing her the same line as he had used with _every _other girl he tried to conquest, and at which he usually succeeded. And now he wanted to have a little chat with her and try to make her a conquest as well? And here she thought, that the prat had some moral, that he would treat her different from the rest. After a couple of years she really seemed to be convinced, he did treat her with respect. And now he undid everything with **_one _**letter.

_Ferret!_

_I really can't believe you. Trying to talk me up like every other slut you've ever dated? Oh yes, let's do lunch and we will see how you will prosper in life without your family jewels. I really thought you had some ounce of respect left for me, you egotistical annoying chauvinistic pig!_

_Weasley_

After she sent off the reply with a St Mungo's owl, she wanted to rip up his letter, burn it and maybe stomp on the ashes, but before she could do that, she saw that a new letter appeared on her desk. Hermione's reply.

_Sure, I'll be at our usual place at one o'clock. Good thing you owled me, I have to tell you something._


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed this story and my special thank you goes out to Momentyne, who is currently my beta and on occasion my cowriter, since english isn't my native language. She's the one who helps me getting the story as I intended to write it. So again my eternal gratefulness._

* * *

** Chapter 5 **

"_Our sweetest songs are those that tell of our saddest thought." - Percy B. Shelley_

"It was actually very amusing. Ginny was quite crimson, when I suggested she'd liked Draco for some time." Hermione said to Severus, while they were working in the lab. He raised his eyebrow at her, "Are you implying that you weren't aware of Miss Weasley's feelings for Draco? From the very beginning of their befriending, there has been more between those two than meets the eye. They've both harboured amorous feelings for each other for a long time and it seems that Miss Weasley is, or was, unwilling to recognize those feelings as such. And as for Draco, I've had many concerns about him. He seems to have taken those first few steps towards taking his feelings more seriously, not to mention generally trying to be a better person."

Hermione smiled at him. "Perhaps he did take that first step, but he used the same lines to chat up Ginny as all the others. Besides that, Ginny is not convinced Draco is serious about her because he made so many jokes about them getting together, while dating other women. You can't blame her for getting angry at him." Severus continued with a potion that needed attending. He added some potion ingredients and cautiously stirred the potion a few times before he looked up again.

"I can assure you, I was not trying to accuse Miss Weasley of such. I do, however, want to point out something - have you ever seen Draco go out with these women besides the major events? Because I have it from a reliable source that Draco hasn't been involved in a romantic relationship in over 9 years, and, to top that, has not been sexually active for almost 5 years." At this information, Hermione stared at him, mouth agape and body slack, causing the research folders she was holding to tumble to the floor. She picked up her papers and continued to stare incredulously at her partner.

"You're trying to tell me that the whole playboy act is just a _ruse_? Where, pray tell, do you get your information?" A mischievous glint sparkled in Severus' eyes; a sparkle which reminded her a lot of her former headmaster Dumbledore and she couldn't help but ask herself if Severus took over some traits from Albus. She reckoned he would deny it if she brought the subject up.

"Let's just say I had a unpleasant run-in with a distraught Miss Brown. It seems Draco spilled his secrets to her, while intoxicated. I believe the exact word Miss Brown used was 'plastered'. That description doesn't leave much room for interpretation does it. As you can imagine, it was out of question that she had to carry such a burden, so I Obliviated the twi- young _lady_." Now Hermione was certain - Severus was the new Albus Dumbledore in a dark, brooding disguise. She giggled at the thought. "So, we have Ginny, who has been harbouring feelings for Draco and is unwilling to admit to that, and Draco, who is also harbouring feelings for Ginny, but is unable to express them properly. Perhaps it is time to intervene and help the poor sod out? Even though…I never thought I had to help Draco Malfoy with _girl_ trouble." She added as an afterthought.

"Why should we intervene in such matters? I didn't need help to seduce you? I ..." Hermione wrapped her arms around Severus, interrupting him. "I believe I was the one who seduced you." She whispered causing Severus curve his lips into a small smile. "Perhaps..."

Hermione continued "So I think we need to help them somewhat; I just don't know how. We have to think about that, besides there was something else I wanted to talk about." Severus sighed. "When does the talking cease? We do have work waiting for us, woman! I believe you still have to add the Billywig stingers." Hermione scowled at him. "Yes, I do know that, it's due in 5 minutes. As you know, I am quite able to work and talk at the same time, Severus; anyway, I just wanted to express my concerns about Luna Lovegood." Hermione walked back to her cauldron and started to slice the Billywig stingers into tiny strips.

"You mean the Ravenclaw that continuously kept on nagging about Crumple-Horned Snorkacks and other nonexistent magical beings? I believe she was the one who killed Lucius Malfoy, and apologized to Draco afterwards. She was rather strange - wasn't she Harry's girlfriend at the time?" Hermione shook her head. "No, they were never involved, but there was a possibility Harry liked her more than he let on. But you know Harry; he wouldn't say so, because of the war. He was too concerned about the fact his loved ones might get hurt. However, I do know for a fact that Luna loved him and still does. She all but told me when I ran into her after lunch with Ginny. She looked like a ghost, you should have seen her. And when I talked to her, she was incoherent and she kept on staring to something behind me. She looked scared and I swear I heard her whisper 'go away', but I'm fairly certain she wasn't talking to me. Now that I think about it, it was actually quite alarming to see someone like that."

"What do you suggest, Hermione? Not everyone can be helped no matter how much you try to save them." Indignantly Hermione snorted. "I know I can't save everyone. But I do like to save the people close to me or the people who are close to the people I love." Severus didn't seem unnerved by her statement and even dared to smirk at her "Did you even try to calculate how many people you could end up helping, if they were in distress? In the name of Merlin, you know the whole Weasley family!" Severus went on, on a somewhat less ridiculing tone "I know you care for Harry; in fact the reason why you are doing this project is more about you caring, than displaying your academic qualities and to see your name printed above a research article that has been published. But what can you honestly do for a girl that may be losing her mind, Hermione? Especially since the majority of the Wizarding community seem to think she lost her mind the day she was born."

Hermione couldn't help getting irritated and hit the desk with her small fist. "May I remind you that we are talking about the same girl who killed Lucius Malfoy? However you may look at it she is still a war hero and should get some respect for that. Especially from you because you should know how vile and powerful Lucius was." Severus knew he passed the line there and let her continue her rant. "Sometimes you're still an inconsiderate old git who skulked around the Hogwarts Dungeons. I'm guessing the only reason why she could kill Malfoy like that was because he had done something to someone she loved and now she's still feeling guilty or lonely. That is driving her insane and the only thing I wanted to ask you was if we could invite her over, to help with our research; seeing as she was a Ravenclaw. I do believe you do know what that means?" Hermione paused slightly for effect, "It means she probably has the brains to help us with something, which will also take her mind of whatever is killing her inside."

He had to agree that she had a point, he nodded agreeably, "You're right…on both accounts. Please accept my apologies for being inconsiderate; the only thing you should do is discuss the matter with Miss Weasley, but I don't see why she should object to your scheme. Anyhow you have my approval; she might bring new insights we haven't thought of" Hermione hadn't expected him to cave in so suddenly, but she did hear his sarcastic undertone and glared at him. Fortunately he left it at that and now it was just a matter of a Floo-call to Ginny and writing a letter to Luna. Shaking out of her reverie, she looked upon her cauldron and only then she realised, she forgot to add the Billywig stingers to her potion; so her potion was probably worthless now. She looked up to see if Severus had realised it. He smirked at her and drawled in an amused tone "I believe you can scourgify that cauldron, it seems talking and working aren't compatible after all." The only reply she gave him at that moment was a scowl.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: If I had the rights, would I have made Ron this sexy? No.. I would not.

_A/N: Listen good, for I will say this only once; English is not my native language, so any typo's that my spelcheck didn't filter out or grammar mistakes are because I simply didn't know better. If you really detest it... Beta it for me!_

**Chapter 6 **

_"I feel like I have a hangover, without all the happy memories, but with some mystery bruises" (Partly Ellen Degeneres, partly modified)_

It was a long time ago Ron could walk so carefree around Diagon Alley, without any worries about being attacked or that he would have to work. Many things had changed since the last time he went for a stroll here. Many shops had closed, some of the closed shops had reopened. To his delight he saw that the ice cream parlour of Florean Fortescue had reopened. When he went there to buy an ice cream, he found out that a relative had reopened it, after the aurors found out that Florean was killed by Death Eaters.

The ice cream still tasted the same as back in his school years. Ron was glad that not everything had changed. He continued to walk through Diagon Alley, till someone bumped into him, shoving his ice cream up his nose at the same time. Ron was about to look up and scream at the person in front of him, when he saw it was Pansy. For a moment she just looked at him with a surprised look at her face but it didn't take long before she started laughing. "That's the first time I saw someone trying to freeze their brains this way" Ron was absolutely not amused and it showed. When Pansy noticed, she rummaged through her purse and got out a handkerchief. While offering the handkerchief to Ron she asked him how he was doing and if she could buy him a new ice-cream or a drink for the inconvenience.

And by the prospect of getting a free drink, Ron gladly took the offer. So they headed back to the Leaky Cauldron. Of course Tom greeted them immediately when they came in and showed them to a table. "What can I get you two?" Ron was actually quite surprised when Pansy ordered a glass of Ogden's Old Fire whisky that early in the afternoon, but he decided on the same. After Tom left he decided to question her about it. "You didn't seem the type that would drink a Fire whisky. Especially not this early in the afternoon." She smiled at him. "I just had a hard day at work and every time that happens I promise myself a Fire whisky as soon as I get out of work. It actually surprises me that Tom here, doesn't think I'm an alcoholic yet."

After that first Fire Whisky more followed and they were both pleasantly surprised when they found out that they were actually having a good time. Ron found out that Pansy had a great sense of humour and actually had a lot in common with him. For instance she liked to play Wizards Chess and loved homemade diners. And Pansy found out that Ron was actually a good listener and much more sensitive than she expected him too. And the fact he couldn't hold his liquor was just to cute. The fact that Pansy was thinking of Ron as cute, was mostly to blame that she couldn't hold her liquor as well. But it didn't keep them from drinking more and more.

The next morning Ron woke up with a hangover the size of Great Britain. That wasn't one of the moments he felt like a man. Right now he felt like a mop. He tried to put his hands to his head and massage his temple, but his arm was stuck. When he looked at his arm, he saw a very naked Pansy Parkinson lying on his arm. Oh.. Bloody.. Hell.. That was probably the most accurate description of this very moment. Carefully he tried to remove his arm and got up out of bed. There were many things going through his head right now. Whether or not he should wake her first or that he should get a hangover potion. But by the time he had looked down and saw that he was naked as well, the only question running around his head was 'Bloody hell, what the fuck happened?!'

That was the exact same thing what Pansy screamed when she woke up and saw Ron standing at the other side of the room in his birthday suit. Of course she immediately regretted the fact she screamed, when she felt her head pounding because of the immense amounts of alcohol she had treated herself to. Before he disappeared into the bathroom Ron saw the disgusted look on her face. Standing in front of the sink he looked in the mirror and asked himself again what happened. But the amount of love bites he saw in his neck kind of explained it all. In spite of himself he grinned. He always suspected Pansy to be a little kinky. Grabbing a towel and two hangover potions from the medicine cabinet, he returned to his bedroom.

Pansy was hastily putting on her clothes again, looking quite upset. Ron laid his free hand on her shoulder to stop her and gave her the hangover potion. When she looked at him, he could imagine why he slept with her. Not just because they were drunk, but he could imagine himself kissing her now. Sleeping with her again, but based on the incredulous look she was giving him he didn't think it would ever happen again. After she drank the hangover potion, Pansy spoke up. "Euhm, Ron? Could we just forget what happened tonight. It's painfully obvious we made a mistake." At her statement Ron's heart cringed, but he remained to look cool and said "Yeah, we did make a mistake." Even though he reminded himself of the disgusted look on her face when she woke up, he couldn't help notice that the moment he said that, her composure wavered. So he decided to continue. "Maybe next time we should try it sober." Putting his hand under her chin and tilting it up, he kissed her gently and even with a little hope.

Ron had to admit that he didn't remember much from the day before, just little fragments. But this felt good. The kiss lasted longer then he expected. He thought Pansy would have broken it off by now but since she was nearly clinging to him, Ron didn't felt de need to stop either. At first the kiss was gentle and hopeful, but before both of them knew it, it became hungry and passionate. Ron found himself pulling on her clothes again, spreading them across the room in the same fashion as they were lying before. Pansy's eager hands roamed his naked body and feverously he tried to return the favour. In no time they were lying in bed again. This time he would remember every single detail so intensively, that it would make up for the lost memories of the last night.


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: -Just read that word. Does it all make sense now? _

**Chapter 7**

_"Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." Alfred Lord Tennyson_

Enjoying a cup of tea, Ginny realized she missed his letters. It had been three weeks since she last received that specific letter. After she had sent her reply, she did not hear from him again. Not even in the tabloids, where his presence was most popular. It looked like Draco had vanished into thin air. She even tried to send him another letter, just to taunt him, hoping he would come and make his apologies soon. But he didn't. It saddened Ginny, because she hoped that he would know or see that they were losing their friendship for ever this way, something she wasn't going to let happen that easily. With a slam Ginny put down her cup and stood up. It was frustrating her that Draco wouldn't even apologize for coming on to her, even if it was a joke. But apparently he decided to move on with his life, without even caring about her. One part of her didn't want to believe that, but the other, infuriated part of her was so freaking angry that she was willing to believe anything at this moment.

She looked down at the stack of work she still had to do that day and decided that kicking Draco's sorry ass would a much more suiting plan to spend her day. Somehow she couldn't concentrate on her work for days now and decided that this would be a much better way of dealing with it, instead of looking at her work and doing nothing. But before she could walk out the door, someone knocked on it. Impatiently she opened the door only to find her boss there, holding what seemed to be dozens of letters. "These are all yours. The intern doesn't seem to know the alphabet, so now I'm suddenly a delivery girl or something like." The sarcasm was not lost on Ginny and she giggled. "Thanks anyway" While her supervisor was walking away, Ginny could still hear her mutter things like "That incompetent cow, like I haven't got enough work to do" Ginny grinned at her boss' antics, before she closed the door behind her again.

Quickly she flipped through all the messages. Almost every one seemed to be from Draco. Defeated she sat down and looked at them. She opened the oldest. The tone of his first letter was still playful and Ginny was getting angry again. Dismissing her letter like that as if it were nothing. He did ask for her forgiveness and he wrote to her that he hoped that she of all people would understand that he wouldn't make a move on her if he wasn't serious. Ginny however wasn't convinced. The next letter she opened was a letter he apparently send a week later. The more letters she opened, the more the tone of his letters changed. In his first few letters he still sounded playful as if he didn't knew why she was so angry but his last letters sounded so desperate. Reading the last letter, something caught her eye and involuntarily she started to cry when she read it.

_Dear Ginny, _

_I know I didn't handle this all that well, telling you that this time you were the one who was bothering me. But there never was anyone else. You were always the one that was bothering me and the fool I am never told you so. Too scared to share my feeling, too afraid that one of the few persons in my life that are important to me, would reject me. _

_I might not have shown it, but the first time you spoke to me after the war even if everybody else shunned me, that was the first day of my life something good had happened. That faithful day in Diagon alley, I never knew how much you actually heard. If you really understood why I joined the light. Later when our friendship developed I realized that you knew and understood everything I went through. I started clinging on our friendship in my own way. I came to realize so much more. What everything meant. Like picturing how you looked, when I thought I couldn't go on spying anymore. Holding on to an image of a frightened girl I had teased all my school years, that was standing in an alley watching me and my father. _

_I came to understand how I felt about you. But I never dared to tell you. I couldn't stand losing you over silly little feelings. But lately I realized that they aren't just silly little feelings. They never were. I love you. They always say that it's better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved before. Whoever made that up never loved someone before, because the pain of losing you kills me inside. I will not send you letters anymore. I guess it would be even more painful if I kept on trying, hoping for a reply that will never come._

_For always yours,_

_Draco. _

The letter softly cascaded to the floor, while Ginny buried her face in her hands and cried even harder. Never before had he opened up his heart that much to show her enough of his feelings. And now that he did she didn't even know what to do with it. How was she supposed to react all this. Run to his mansion and drag him out of there to tell him she loved him back. Why didn't he tell her this to her face, maybe then she wouldn't have had a choice about what to do and it would have been so much simpler. But at the same time did she realize that she was the one who ripped up his attempt to come in contact with him at home and the intern pretty much blew it for him at work. Ginny was so lost in her thoughts, that she didn't hear someone coming in.

"Ginny? Are you okay? What happened? Don't tell me that the prick still hasn't apologized." Ginny looked up and saw Pansy standing in the doorway with a worried face. She tried to tell her what happened, but the words just wouldn't come out, so she just pointed at the letter that was on the ground. It didn't take long for Pansy to catch up and she picked up the letter and looked through it. After she had quickly read the letter, her head shot up in the direction of Ginny. "Oh my God, Ginny. I don't know what to say. What are you going to do?" Ginny looked at her and said "I don't know, Pansy. I really don't know." Pansy gave the letter back to Ginny. "Gin, do you love him, the way he loves you?" For a moment Ginny didn't say anything, but finally she nodded. Ginny knew there wasn't any avoiding the matter right now. "Well, let me fix you up a bit and go to him."

After gathering every ounce of courage Ginny could muster and a few extra pushes from Pansy, she Apparated to the Malfoy mansion. Knocking on the door Ginny waited for someone to answer it. It took a few minutes before a nervous little house elf answered the door. "Master is out of country for work, Misses Weazy. Missy doesn't know when master is coming back. Missy heard Master say he is gone for 3 weeks." Defeated Ginny went back to her apartment. Not knowing if she should send him an owl or that she would only disturb him while working. Grabbing a bottle of elderflower wine she got from her parents a few weeks ago, she went to bed and decided to drown her sorrows for that evening.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

_"Do not protect yourself with a fence, but rather by your friends" Czech proverb_

It had been a long a time ago since Luna set foot on Hogwarts grounds and it didn't quite feel the same like in her school years, she thought while walking down the hallways to the dungeons. It used to feel safe, almost like a second home. Luna remembered how secure she felt, even though there were people bullying her. Hogwarts used to make her feel safe and now it felt like there was something missing. Perhaps I'm the one who changed most, she thought. After all most of her days now were filled with visiting Harry and keeping herself occupied from hearing the voices that were trying to lure her to places she knew she didn't want to go to. Even at Hogwarts she could see shadows following the students who were running through the hallways, probably hoping that they wouldn't be detected by Filch or one of the teachers. But today she was here to meet Hermione Granger and Severus Snape. To be honest she was quite surprised when she received an owl from the both of them requesting to meet them to talk about something important. After the Final Battle she didn't hear much about the both of them, besides what she had read in the Quibbler or the Prophet, even less after she stopped reading both of the papers. Hermione had tried to contact her in the beginning and even went along to visit Harry in St. Mungo's , but in the end Luna had wanted to go alone and stopped answering the invitations to come along and eventually Hermione stopped owling her. Perhaps it was some kind of intervention after seeing Hermione a few weeks ago, some idle attempt to get her on the right path again, but Luna couldn't imagine the Severus Snape cooperating to something like that, so it must have been something else. She had discussed the possibilities of why they might have invited her with Harry, as she had discussed almost everything she did nowadays with him, but the only reply she got was a brightly colored ball rolling towards her like it did with everything she discussed with him. Even now while she was walking towards the door of the Potions lab, her mind was working overtime to figure out an answer. When she looked up again, she noticed she already arrived at the Potions lab and knocked on the door.

It didn't take very long before she was installed at the office next to the Potions lab with a steaming hot cup of tea sitting across from a smiling Hermione and a surprisingly serene looking Professor Snape. It confused Luna, it almost looked like something was going on here she didn't know about and it wasn't just the reason why she was here. It wasn't until Hermione started to talk that it hit her. Before Hermione started talking Luna saw her smiling at Snape in a way she used to look at Harry. Smiling into her cup of tea, Luna tried to focus on what Hermione actually was trying to tell her.

"… Studying the effects of certain potions and Transfiguration spells and see what kind of effect they have and how they might help in finding the cure to people who have suffered from Cruciatus. We think that we are very near to an answer, but quite frankly we seem to be stuck."

A cure? Something that would help Harry recover? For some reason it angered Luna in a way she couldn't completely understand. "So, in a way you both are now at the point where many scientists like yourself stranded in finding a cure? What has that got to do with me? Are you trying to make me understand that Harry will never be the same again and I should get on with my life?" So it was some kind of intervention and Professor Snape probably agreed to it because he had the hots for the bushy haired witch, Luna thought to herself. It made her even angrier. Why couldn't they leave her alone?

"What Miss Granger was actually trying to tell you, is that we need some help. And seeing as you are sitting here now, I'm inclined to think that you can figure out for yourself, that we need your help. " Snape drawled.

"In my opinion, it would be best if you stopped pitying yourself and start thinking about the future, instead of clinging on to the past and pretending that you are the only one in pain, when in fact thousands of people have lost loved ones to Cruciatus or even worse. I would have imagined that one such as yourself would have put your brain to work for a change and figured that out on your own. Apparently I was wrong. " He continued.

Luna felt foolish and confused at the same time. Foolish for thinking they were trying to help her get over Harry, especially because Hermione lost Harry as well. And confused about why she was here. Why they needed her help. Snape had just caller her self-pitying and even selfish. She could see truth in his words, but that made her wonder even more why they would need her help. Was it her connection to Harry? Or did they feel sorry for her after all? It couldn't be just because of the fact that she was a Ravenclaw. There were more of them out there, some of them even esteemed scientists knowing more about Cruciatus than life itself. Luna had known about that, because she had tried to read every book, thesis and theory that there was to find about the subject.

Hermione must have spotted her confusion or at least tried to break through the uncomfortable silence that was hanging in the room, when speaking up.

"I wouldn't have put it quite that eloquently as the old bat here." She said while glaring at said bat, who just smirked.

"But last time I saw you, I did notice a change in your demeanor. You're more jumpy and have bags under your eyes. Even now I noticed you get angry about the mere notion of mentioning of a cure for Cruciatus. I won't lie to you, I was worried seeing you like that. I was used to seeing a dreamy looking young woman that annoyed me till no end with her random outbursts about Hobglobbering Bobdingers or however you called them, but you always inspired me with your positive look on everything in life."

"War changes people, Hermione. Time changes people. I can also remember the time when you didn't stare that affectionately at Professor Snape as when I came into this office, but that changed as well." At that point Hermione had the decency to blush and Luna noticed that even her former Potion's professor pale face sported a blush. "Perhaps I've been selfish and perhaps all I do is pity myself for the fact I lost the love of my life before I could even tell him. It confuses me. I don't know what to do. When my mother passed away, I missed her dearly, but somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I would see her again one day. That we would be reunited and tell each other what has been going on in our life or afterlife. But with Harry it's different. I can see him every day, but he isn't there. I can meet whenever I want and I can tell him everything I need to tell him, but he isn't there. It's driving me so far from who I am to the point I start seeing things, even hearing voices calling out to me." Tears were rolling over her cheeks. Luna never imagined telling this to anyone. Let alone Hermione or Snape, but there was a time where she considered Hermione to be one of her closest friends, together with Harry, Ron, Neville and Ginny.

Looking up she saw Hermione was crying as well. Snape was holding Hermione's hand and looked up to Luna. "Perhaps now it's the time to take action, instead of watching yourself sink away in the abyss you have created for yourself. Harry would not have wanted you to pine away, doing nothing." he said.

Luna sighed and nodded quietly. She then felt a hand taking her own hand and squeezing it gently. It was Hermione who was still slightly sniffling and looked puffy. "Perhaps we can help you out and at the same time you can help us out. " She said. "Both of us and Ginny Weasley are asking you to join our research team. And before you say no, I just want to explain to you, why we wanted to ask you."

Luna stayed quiet and nodded again, so Hermione continued. "The first time we started thinking about adding another member to our research team has been quite a while ago, but everyone we could think off as remotely compatible with the rest of our team, didn't meet our requirements. We actually started to give up on ever finding anyone. That was until I saw you again a couple of weeks ago. It occurred to me that you looked different. It almost seemed to me like you were turning into a ghost of yourself. I wanted to help you on the spot, but I reckoned that you were too much of a free spirit for that. It wasn't until I told Severus later about how you were in the past, that I had come up with the perfect addition to our team." She gave a apologetic smile towards Luna.

"When we first met I thought we could be the best of friends, you were a Ravenclaw and I was arrogant to think that every Ravenclaw was supposed to be a snooty bookworm just like me, even though I was a Gryffindor. But you were completely different from me. Even though you were brainy just like me, you had qualities I lacked a little in some way. You displayed an unwavering faith in the world around you and it seemed like you trusted more on your intuition than most of us did. It used to drive me insane, probably because it scared me in a way I can't quite explain myself. But when I befriended you, I learned that despite everything that was making you so unique. And that's exactly why we want you on our team, because of the different insights you might have on the subject."

"But what if I can't meet up to that expectation anymore?" Luna said. She wasn't the same person anymore. Not the one Hermione was talking about. What if she couldn't bring anything useful into the research?

"Then it would still be nice working with a dear old friend." Hermione said while she smiled, hoping her friend would accept their invitation. Hoping that the memories clouding her nowadays would dissipate if only a little.

"And if that's not reason enough for you, we can always use someone to clean after Miss Granger has blown up one of her beloved experiments." Snape smirked at Luna, who started crying again. Luckily this time he could see that they weren't tears of sadness. "I take that as a yes to our proposal?" He was glad to see her nodding her head.


End file.
